Sick of getting my 2.5 year old tested

[Welllllllwellllllllwellllllll]

She's come down with a cold, no covid symptoms yet but, as always it's highly likely a cough will develop. She can't blow her nose so gets all get phlegmy at the back of her nose.

She's had FIVE tests and I'm sick of it, she gets distressed everytime, it has been negative everytime. Children get coughs and colds so regularly and everytime she's coughed previously I've got frustrated with her because it's like HERE WE GO AGAIN. My friend's child to isolate when they had croup, the doctor even diagnosed croup! I'm just done now. Couldn't give a flying farting space about bloody COVID-19.

I think we all understand why we need to do it but it doesn't change the fact that its horrible trying to do it.

You're not being selfish, OP. You're following the rules, and it's okay to say how annoying and cruel it seems. My 14 month old has had 4 tests since January alone. It's horrid. Even after her 1 year immunisations, where a slight fever was to be expected, she had to have one. That's the annoying thing, common sense out the window. GP said no need to test, nursery wouldn't allow her in without a covid test. Not prepared to keep her and her 4 year old brother inside for 10 days when they're perfectly healthy.

People laying into you have clearly never had to repeatedly test their baby who doesn't understand one bit. I hope you don't have to test again.

DD (2.5) also has had a bit of a cough a couple of days/ nights this week but only when lying down, it’s clearly from mucus collecting in her throat because she can’t blow her nose, therefore I haven’t tested her. DH is a GP and didn’t think she needed testing either. However we have tested her twice previously for coughing, both times before she was 2, and barbaric is the right word.

The first time DH did it in his surgery car park because it was before tests were available to the public, but he needed her to be negative so that he could still work as they had other staff off sick/ isolating. He is obviously a professional but still found it difficult. The second time the only appointment I could get was at a test centre and hours drive away, it was a really hot day and I ended up sweating buckets and in tears in the back seat of the car, trying to shove the bloody swab up her nose without her grabbing it, or contaminating it - went through I think four swabs before I managed it. It was hellish. And negative both times of course.

I understand it’s important, but agree with PPs saying there needs to be a better method for such small children if constant testing is expected to continue.

Ive reported the post saying they would lie or test themselves!

As pp said symptoms it's pcr (not op as you know). You can do pcr at home but it is not the rapid tests. Pcr need to be sent back

I think the issue is more that we are allowing so many colds to spread around that is what is causing the testing. Not taking kids into supermarkets and shops unnecessarily and or putting masks on them if thet need to go in would help. If nothing else they are spreading the colds to others who need testing

Also cough is - continuous OR 3 episodes of coughing!!!

Tbh i would rather be able to test at sore throat or even runny nose stage than waiting for cough

@MindyStClaire it's easy to say that a video and chocolate buttons will make it quick, but it doesn't work like that for every child! My 4 year old now knows what's coming and no videos on my phone, bribes of treats make it any easier! She's in pieces before we even get near her with the swab!

To other posters, I would never not test or let kids go out or be in contact with people if they had symptoms and no negative test. But I think parents of small children are well within their rights to moan and be upset about the procedure! There definitely needs to be an easier way!

I also appreciate that many other people and children have to deal with worse. That kind of comparison isn't helpful and could be applied to any and every situation in life. It doesn't make someone's difficulties any easier or their struggles invalid!

I'm surprised that the nursery would accept a test done by a parent. DSs nursery want a copy of the negative test email for their files.

I think what people are most annoyed about it the posters implying (or outright stating) that they would just lie and send their child back. It's incredibly selfish. I work in a childcare, I cannot social distance from the children, children are little germ monsters. I love them to pieces and wouldn't change my job but it's a kick in the teeth when we are not eligible for a vaccine and then have parents lying about testing.

I have to work to pay my bills. I'm support bubbled with my parents. If i took something to them who knows what may happen?

I think everyone agrees that testing is a necessity & highly important to reduce the spread.

But it is awful putting a child through repeated testing.
My friends little girl has had so many tests at the request of her nursery, that when it came for her to have her flu vaccination up the nose, she was so traumatised from Covid testing that they couldn’t administer it!

@Shibees my daughter was exactly the same!
This thread seems to have turned into a debate about testing children or not, I don't think that should be the question. I think the question is why isn't there a better way of testing kids, eg the saliva test that has been talked about previously? Can't they get this rolled out as a matter of urgency?

I have to do lateral flow tests on myself twice a week, and I don't put it anywhere near my throat - I've had to do two PCR tests, and that's enough. No more throat scraping, it hurts and GIVES me the sore throat I didn't have in the first place. I'll never do the throat thing on my child.

Nose is fine though.

@Nikki305 Agree, this feels like another example of babies and small children being forgotten in the pandemic, and the ‘Powers That Be’ not grasping that testing adults or even older children is not the same as trying to wrestle with and restrain a terrified, uncomprehending two-year-old. It’s cruel to the children and putting terrible pressure on parents.

[quote Welllllllwellllllllwellllllll]**@gallbladderpain would you shut up. Do not call me selfish for venting frustration based on barbaric testing for small children.

I have not once said I'm not going to test or isolate, I will test her if she develops any covid symptoms so don't go assuming or you'll just make a tit of yourself. I was simply venting about how awful it is for small children who don't understand. Suggest you go back to bed and wake up of the right side.[/quote]
Maybe it wasn't just your frustration that led @gallbladderpain to write what she did. But comments like this...

@Welllllllwellllllllwellllllll - Couldn't give a flying farting space about bloody COVID-19.

I don’t think I agree with repeated testing children if they get distressed . Unfortunately though you may just have to isolate as you can’t assume that it’s just a cold .

[quote TempsPerdu]@Nikki305 Agree, this feels like another example of babies and small children being forgotten in the pandemic, and the ‘Powers That Be’ not grasping that testing adults or even older children is not the same as trying to wrestle with and restrain a terrified, uncomprehending two-year-old. It’s cruel to the children and putting terrible pressure on parents.[/quote]
That's it exactly.
Little kids who've spent a quarter or more of their lives under restrictions are totally being forgotten.

I honestly think people will look back and question some of the stuff that has gone on in this pandemic. Some stuff is cruel and barbaric.

People will analyse data for years and they really will think some stuff that happened was cruel and barbaric and completely unnecessary.

[quote TempsPerdu]@Nikki305 Agree, this feels like another example of babies and small children being forgotten in the pandemic, and the ‘Powers That Be’ not grasping that testing adults or even older children is not the same as trying to wrestle with and restrain a terrified, uncomprehending two-year-old. It’s cruel to the children and putting terrible pressure on parents.[/quote]
You are absolutely spot on here. I wish I had an easy solution but I don't

@islockdownoveryet

I don’t think I agree with repeated testing children if they get distressed . Unfortunately though you may just have to isolate as you can’t assume that it’s just a cold .

Families can't afford to self isolate for 10 days every time a tot gets a sniffle. Older siblings have missed enough time from school. Parents need to work. Little kids need more the Cbeebies.

So parents don't really have a choice but put their kids through these horrible tests.

Test yourself instead. This is all ridiculous.

My 8yo probably wouldnt have had 2 colds this year if primary kids and teachers were in masks. And may well not have missed 9/12 of a school year.
Fewer colds wou!d have meant less tests on nursery ages too

Except you'll never stop kids getting colds. Children need to build their immune system. Also their is evidence that the common cold virus could push covid out of cells.

Are you seriously suggesting young kids should wear masks?
The same young kids who are told not to wear ties because some of them chew and suck them
Can you imagine there hygiene, dropping them, picking them up, sticking them back on?

No please don't go there.

Flip it round in your head. It's a positive thing you go for the test or else your while household would have to isolate for 10 days and that would've been 5 times now. The testing is the positive step in your story not the negative

Well said @Nikki305!!

@Crumpsly

I wouldn’t test her again. She’s not going to get ill and it’s distressing. I’d tell the nursery I had tested her if asked and maybe take a test myself. Children have had to give up enough for a disease which mainly effects the elderly.

On a different note it’s all so contradictory about the vaccines and transmission.

A parent doing this exact thing caused several of my colleagues to catch Covid from the child, one of whom passed it to her mum (who she lived with), who then sadly passed away after weeks in intensive care.

Please think about the people looking after your child. They don't deserve to be put at risk like this.

It is so difficult to get a good swab if a child is not cooperating that it makes me question just how valid the results are a lot of the time.

I’d much rather do a skin prick blood spot test on DD (3) because at least you’d know you had got a good sample and I think there’d be less risk of injuring a child if they’re wriggling while you’re trying to swab their nose.

Or a saliva test with a sample spit into a pot.

There just has to be a better way!

I’ve made some progress with DD by doing role play and swabbing her teddies noses with her just to try and normalise the process.

It’s shit and I fear we could be in for a couple more years of this.

less risk of injuring a child with a blood spot test THAN swabbing their noses

is what I meant to say!